I sold it for two reasons. The first is that it let me eliminate a pistol caliber. Now we have pistols in 9mm and .38/.357 magnum (well and .22lr but that is not an issue). This greatly streamlining our logistics. Also more importantly it fits all of our needs. I have 9mm for carry and if need be tactical use and .357 for a woods gun. I would feel pretty happy with a big fast .357 round for anything in the lower 48. Secondly I just didn't use the .45 very much. I enjoy the compact nature and round count of the Glock 19, if I had to have just 1 pistol it would be a G19. For a woods gun I like revolvers. No huge reason for this, maybe just because it helps me justify keeping them around.

A third benefit is that Wifey is now capable of using every handgun we own. (She likes the .38 but admits she shoots a Glock better). This really wasn't an issue as the 1911 wasn't a gun that was key in our defensive plans but it is an added benefit.

[I am not saying my 1911 was a bad gun or anything. The Springfield Mil Spec I had performed like a service pistol should with solid reliability and good combat functional accuracy. I cleaned it and didn't shoot the cheapest junk reloads available but did not baby it or anything. Simply put the gun did what it was supposed to. Just that I didn't need to own it any more for the reasons discussed above. ]

Also the Garand might have a potential buyer. As we have talked this and it is not a done deal I see no need to rehash.

I am kinda going crazy on this whole minimalist thing and tentatively looking to unload 2-3 more guns. Times are getting hard for guns in the safe that do not have a purpose. It might not be entirely accurate to say that I am going all minimalist. We could sell half our guns and still have a solid collection by most peoples standards. The goal is to have the right quality weapons, as well as tools, equipment and other stuff but they are other discussions, to fit our needs. This means over time I will continue selling things that do not fit the bill, even if they are close, and replacing some of them with the right stuff until things are where they should be.

So back to the pertinent question of what do I plan on doing with said cash. Things are still up in the air. I think the imminent purchase of rifle plates is sufficiently funded but will wait to be sure that is good. A Bravo Company upper and a bolt to match are likely candidates with a lower to follow. There is some little stuff that is necessary and on the short list but that is easier to pick up piecemeal. Also an AR-15 .22 conversion kit is on the horizon.

I did this twice. Once was a barter- shotgun for PC, soft armor, and plates, and the other time was when I traded my .454 Casull for a glock 23 with streamlight laser/light setup and tritium night sights.

I would like to have a lot of things that I don't have right now, but I am often in the position to barter as opposed to buying with currency, as most of that goes towards family stuff (darned bills).

My next 2 big-ticket preps will be (hopefully) good NODs and a generator/welder.

More and more I'm tending towards minimalism (at least in survivalist terms), both out of necessity (multiple moves, not tons of storage space) and due to the fact that I can't stand having mountains of stuff around. Piles of kids toys, dishes and wife's makeup are bad enough...

AP, Nice! Both sound decisions. There is only so much money to go around. Sometimes getting a new piece of kit means parting with an old one. I am also kind of seeing the benefit of keeping the amounts of stuff (and money spent) sane and over time swapping into a setup that better fits my needs. A NOD and a welder would be great to have.

Alexander Wolfe, Yeah that is true. However this is a do it right so I can leave it alone type project.